1. Technical Field
The present invention relates generally to the field of electric machines, e.g., motors and generators, and in particular to methods used to design high-efficiency electric machines.
2. Background Art
High efficiency has been a long-standing objective in the design and manufacture of electric machines. The prior art teaches that high efficiency is achieved by maximizing the amount of lamination material in the rotor and stator and then maximizing the amount of conductor wound onto the lamination material. Reactance is adjusted by increasing the number of series turns per coil in the winding.
The method used in the prior art necessarily results in greater costs. First, electric machines designed in this way necessarily require greater expenditures for lamination and winding material, as more is used. Further, using the maximum amount of winding material results in windings that are less adaptable to machine winding, thereby leading to increased labor costs.
The market for high-efficiency electric machines is competitive, and the savings of even a few cents per unit can be significant. There is thus a need in the art for a design method that minimizes material content.